


Reborn

by Pryde_of_kittens



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt, Established Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sad Nico di Angelo, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23225326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pryde_of_kittens/pseuds/Pryde_of_kittens
Summary: *Spoilers for The Burning Maze below*~Nico reacts to Jason's death, and finally gets to say goodbye.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Jason Grace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 3
Kudos: 129





	Reborn

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I wrote this about a year ago and never got around to posting it, but I'm sad about Jason again. Also, I still haven't read The Tyrant's Tomb (I'm not ready) so I'm not entirely sure if this is canon compliant, but I think it is! Hope you enjoy.

Nico Di Angelo was known for many things. Stoic expressions, tough attitude. The only people in his life that ever truly knew him were his sisters, Will, and Jason. 

Nico was walking down the streets of Manhattan when he found out. Will and him were walking together, brushing shoulders as they attempted to fight the crowd. It was busy on that Saturday afternoon, the streets flooded with honking cars and j-walking pedestrians. 

They were walking back to camp after seeing a movie in the city. Nico didn’t often leave Camp Halfblood, but when he did, it was usually for Will.

“This is taking forever.” Nico grumbled, moving in closer to Will as a bicyclist past. 

“Well you’re not shadow traveling if I can help it. You can walk like a regular person.” Will retorted, lightly grabbing Nico’s swaying hand.

He was about to comment that he was far from a regular person, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He paused and turned back, the man behind him shoving past him and grumbling, though Nico didn’t pay him any mind.

“What is it?” Will asked from beside him, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of what Nico saw.

“I thought I saw...” Nico hesitated, “Never mind. Let’s go, it’s getting dark.” 

He pulled Will along, letting his mind wonder. Why would _he_ be here? Nico must be seeing things.

The hand in his turned rough as he was yanked to a halt. Looking up, Nico realized they were standing at a crosswalk with oncoming traffic. 

“Thanks.” he murmured, glancing at Will, who was currently gazing at Nico with an open expression of worry. Will started to talk softly to him, but he was distracted by a figure in the distance.

Hades stood in the shadows a little ways down the sidewalk. He was hardly one to come out into the world, so Nico couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. 

“Who’s that?” Will asked, now staring at him as well. The traffic was stopped and people were crossing the street now, but they stayed rooted in spot.

“My dad.” Nico replied softly, anxiety seeping into his tone. His gaze met Hades, and he felt his chest collapse in. 

Maybe it was because he was the child of Hades, maybe it was intuition, or perhaps Hades was using his powers to communicate with Nico.

It didn’t matter because in that moment, Nico knew. He knew exactly why Hades was here, he knew exactly why he had an immense feeling of dread.

Jason.

“I’ll meet you back at camp, okay?” Nico pulled Will’s hand up and squeezed it tightly. “I love you.”

They had exchanged I love you’s a few weeks back, but Nico didn’t say it too often. Maybe that was why Will didn’t stop him when he strode into the shadows and vanished.

~~~

Nico and his dad walked side by side, silence between them. They hadn’t spoken since they arrived in the underworld, and they hadn’t needed to.

As Nico walked into his father’s palace, he spotted a figure by the wall. His eyelids grew heavy, and he had to swallow a small lump that blocked his throat. His immediate reaction was to deny it. He wanted to beg his father to reveal his mistake. He didn’t want to face the fact that his best friend was dead.

Yet, Nico was never one to run from the truth. Not since Bianca and Cupid, so he walked over to Jason Grace.

“Nico.” Jason’s eyes seemed more bright than usual, a heavy contrast with this grim place. 

Nico cut straight to the chase, “Why are you here?” It came out as more of a demand than a question, but Jason seemed used to it. 

Jason grinned sadly, “A demigod’s life is always dangerous. You know that.” Nico didn’t say anything. Jason’s smile dropped. “I asked if I could see you before I went.”

“Went? To Elysium?” Nico had said he wouldn’t run from the truth, yet here he was.

“I’m not going to Elysium, Nico.” Jason replied softly. His eyes held sadness, the type of sadness no seventeen year old should have to hold. “I want to try again. I think I wanna try a normal life this time.”

“You don’t know what’s going to happen. Why don’t you wait? Wait for us, we’ll join you eventually.” Nico’s voice was borderline begging, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. A tear slipped out of his eye.

“I’m so tired Nico.” Jason’s voice broke, like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Despite everything, I had a good life. Amazing friend, an amazing love. But it’s time for me to move on. Start again, leave all this stress behind.” He looked away at this, his hand’s wringing together. “I’m just scared. I don’t want to leave them, leave you.”

Just then, Nico realized how selfish he was being. Jason was ready to move on, to live a better life. 

“Don’t be scared.” Jason looked surprised at Nico’s words. “You’ve given so much to us, all of us. Now it’s time to worry about yourself. You deserve to be happy. You deserve the world, Jason.” Nico cried silently, the tears were simply dropping from his eyes.

“Will you tell everyone that I’m sorry, and that I love them? They gave me a good life, when I didn’t know that was possible. Tell Thalia that she was my only family, and that she was all I needed. And tell Piper-” Jason’s voice broke off, tears falling out of his eyes now. He took a deep shaky breath and forged on, “Tell Piper that I love her. Tell her to move on, she doesn’t need me. She was amazing before I was in her life, and she’ll be amazing after I leave.”

Nico’s chest shook, but he tried not to show it. “You are my best friend. You’re family Jason. Thank you.” The last part was barely a whisper. 

Jason surged forward and hugged him. Surprisingly, he felt it. He felt the embrace of his loved one, and he squeezed him hard, knowing it was the last time it would ever happen.

“I love you so much Nico. Thank you for letting me be your family.” 

They eventually pulled away, and Jason’s eyes held relief. He was ready. 

Nico’s heart broke at that, but he tried to be happy. Happy that Jason was happy. He tried to imagine a life without him, but he cut the thought off quick. All he felt was despair. 

Hades walked up to them and eyed his son silently. Nico was more grateful than he’d ever been that his father was the god of the underworld.

“It’s time.” Hades told Jason, his voice a deep whisper. Jason wiped his eyes and gave Nico one last watery smile, then he was gone. 

Once Jason was gone, Nico broke down. He took a stumbling step forward, and he was suddenly in his dimly lit cabin. 

“Nico?” Will shot up from where he'd been waiting on a bunk bed. 

Nico's vision was completely blurry, and as he took another step forward, he fell to his knees. A sob escaped him, followed by countless more. His chest was heaving and he uselessly tried to quiet himself by biting his fist. In only a few moments, arms circled him, pulling him into Will’s awaiting chest. Will held steady onto his shaky form, attempting to provide any comfort he could.

He was mourning in a way he had never allowed himself with Bianca. And as he loudly cried into Will’s comforting arms, he tried to imagine a world without his best friend. His heart broke just a little bit more.   
  



End file.
